Structures, systems and methods for transistors utilizing oxide nanolaminates are provided. One transistor embodiment includes a first source/drain region, a second source/drain region, and a channel region therebetween. A gate is separated from the channel region by a gate insulator. The gate insulator includes oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by different electron affinities of the insulator nanolaminate layers.
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32. A method for forming a multistate memory array, comprising:
forming a number of vertical pillars in rows and columns extending outwardly from a substrate and separated by a number of trenches, wherein the number of vertical pillars serve as transistors including a first source/drain region, a second source/drain region, a channel region between the first and the second source/drain regions, and a gate separated from the channel region by a gate insulator in the trenches along rows of pillars, wherein along columns of the pillars adjacent pillars include a transistor which operates as a multistate cell on one side of a trench and a transistor which operates as a reference cell having a programmed conductivity state on the opposite side of the trench, and wherein forming the gate insulator includes forming oxide insulator nanolaminate layers which trap charge in potential wells formed by different electron affinities of the insulator nanolaminate layers;
forming a number of bit lines coupled to the second source/drain region of each transistor along rows of the memory array;
forming a number of word lines coupled to the gate of each transistor along columns of the memory array;
forming a number of sourcelines formed in a bottom of the trenches between rows of the pillars and coupled to the first source/drain regions of each transistor along rows of pillars, wherein along columns of the pillars the first source/drain region of each transistor in column adjacent pillars couple to the sourceline in a shared trench such that a multistate cell transistor and a reference cell transistor share a common sourceline; and
wherein the number of vertical pillars can be programmed in a reverse direction to have a one of a number of charges trapped in the gate insulator adjacent to the first source/drain region by biasing a sourceline to a voltage higher than VDD, grounding a bitline, and selecting a gate by a wordline address.
1. A memory array, comprising:
a memory array, wherein the memory array includes a number of vertical pillars formed in rows and columns extending outwardly from a substrate and separated by a number of trenches, wherein the number of vertical pillars serve as transistors including a source region, a drain region, a channel region between the source and the drain regions, and a gate separated from the channel region by a gate insulator in the trenches along rows of pillars, and wherein the gate insulator includes oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by different electron affinities of the insulator nanolaminate layers, wherein along columns of the pillars adjacent pillars include a transistor which operates as a multistate cell on one side of a trench and a transistor which operates as a reference cell having a programmed conductivity state on the opposite side of the trench;
a number of bit lines coupled to the drain region of each transistor along rows of the memory array;
a number of word lines coupled to the gate of each transistor along columns of the memory array;
a number of sourcelines formed in a bottom of the trenches between rows of the pillars and coupled to the source regions of each transistor along rows of pillars, wherein along columns of the pillars the source region of each transistor in column adjacent pillars couple to the sourceline in a shared trench such that a multistate cell transistor and a reference cell transistor share a common sourceline;
a wordline address decoder coupled to the number of wordlines;
a bitline address decoder coupled to the number of bitlines;
a sense amplifier coupled to the number of bitlines; and
wherein at least one of multistate cell transistors is a programmed transistor having one of a number of charges trapped in the gate insulator adjacent to the source region such that the channel region of that transistor has a first voltage threshold region (Vt1) and a second voltage threshold region (Vt2) and such that the programmed transistor operates at reduced drain source current.
12. An electronic system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device includes;
a memory array, wherein the memory array includes a number of vertical pillars formed in rows and columns extending outwardly from a substrate and separated by a number of trenches, wherein the number of vertical pillars serve as transistors including a source region, a drain region, a channel region between the source and the drain regions, and a gate separated from the channel region by a gate insulator in the trenches along rows of pillars, and wherein the gate insulator includes oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by different electron affinities of the insulator nanolaminate layers, wherein along columns of the pillars adjacent pillars include a transistor which operates as a multistate cell on one side of a trench and a transistor which operates as a reference cell having a programmed conductivity state on the opposite side of the trench;
a number of bit lines coupled to the drain region of each transistor along rows of the memory array;
a number of word lines coupled to the gate of each transistor along columns of the memory array;
a number of sourcelines formed in a bottom of the trenches between rows of the pillars and coupled to the source regions of each transistor along rows of pillars, wherein along columns of the pillars the source region of each transistor in column adjacent pillars couple to the sourceline in a shared trench such that a multistate cell transistor and a reference cell transistor share a common sourceline;
a wordline address decoder coupled to the number of wordlines;
a bitline address decoder coupled to the number of bitlines;
a sense amplifier coupled to the number of bitlines; and
wherein at least one of multistate cell transistors is a programmed transistor having one of a number of charges trapped in the gate insulator adjacent to the source region such that the channel region of that transistor has a first voltage threshold region (Vt1) and a second voltage threshold region (Vt2) and such that the programmed transistor operates at reduced drain source current.
25. A method for multistate memory, comprising:
writing to one or more vertical mosfets arranged in rows and columns extending outwardly from a substrate and separated by trenches in a DRAM array in a reverse direction, wherein each mosfet in the DRAM array includes a source region, a drain region, a channel region between the source and the drain regions, and a gate separated from the channel region by a gate insulator in the trenches, wherein the gate insulator includes oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by different electron affinities of the insulator nanolaminate layers, wherein the DRAM array includes a number of sourcelines formed in a bottom of the trenches between rows of the vertical mosfets and coupled to the source regions of each transistor along rows the vertical mosfets, wherein along columns of the vertical mosfets the source region of each column adjacent vertical mosfet couple to the sourceline in a shared trench, and wherein the DRAM array includes a number of bitlines coupled to the drain region along rows in the DRAM array, and wherein programming the one or more vertical mosfets in the reverse direction includes;
biasing a sourceline for two column adjacent vertical mosfets sharing a trench to a voltage higher than VDD;
grounding a bitline coupled to one of the drain regions of the two column adjacent vertical mosfets in the vertical mosfet to be programmed
applying a gate potential to the gate for each of the two column adjacent vertical mosfets to create a hot electron injection into the gate insulator of the vertical mosfet to be programmed adjacent to the source region such that an addressed mosfets becomes a programmed mosfet and will operate at reduced drain source current in a forward direction;
reading one or more vertical mosfets in the DRAM array in a forward direction, wherein reading the one or more mosfets in the forward direction includes;
grounding a sourceline for two column adjacent vertical mosfets sharing a trench;
precharging the drain regions of the two column adjacent vertical mosfets sharing a trench to a fractional voltage of VDD; and
applying a gate potential of approximately 1.0 Volt to the gate for each of the two column adjacent vertical mosfets sharing a trench such that a conductivity state of an addressed vertical mosfet can be compared to a conductivity state of a reference cell.
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This application is related to the following co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent applications: “Memory Utilizing Oxide-Nitride Nanolaminates,” Ser. No. 10/190689, and “Memory Utilizing Oxide-Conductor Nanolaminates,” Ser. No. 10/191336, each of which disclosure is herein incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor integrated circuits and, more particularly, to memory utilizing oxide nanolaminates.
Many electronic products need various amounts of memory to store information, e.g. data. One common type of high speed, low cost memory includes dynamic random access memory (DRAM) comprised of individual DRAM cells arranged in arrays. DRAM cells include an access transistor, e.g a metal oxide semiconducting field effect transistor (MOSFET), coupled to a capacitor cell.
Another type of high speed, low cost memory includes floating gate memory cells. A conventional horizontal floating gate transistor structure includes a source region and a drain region separated by a channel region in a horizontal substrate. A floating gate is separated by a thin tunnel gate oxide. The structure is programmed by storing a charge on the floating gate. A control gate is separated from the floating gate by an intergate dielectric. A charge stored on the floating gate effects the conductivity of the cell when a read voltage potential is applied to the control gate. The state of cell can thus be determined by sensing a change in the device conductivity between the programmed and un-programmed states.
With successive generations of DRAM chips, an emphasis continues to be placed on increasing array density and maximizing chip real estate while minimizing the cost of manufacture. It is further desirable to increase array density with little or no modification of the DRAM optimized process flow.
Multilayer insulators have been previously employed in memory devices. The devices in the above references employed oxide-tungsten oxide-oxide layers. Other previously described structures described have employed charge-trapping layers implanted into graded layer insulator structures.
More recently oxide-nitride-oxide structures have been described for high density nonvolatile memories. All of these are variations on the original MNOS memory structure described by Fairchild Semiconductor in 1969 which was conceptually generalized to include trapping insulators in general for constructing memory arrays.
Studies of charge trapping in MNOS structures have also been conducted by White and others.
Some commercial and military applications utilized non-volatile MNOS memories.
However, these structures did not gain widespread acceptance and use due to their variability in characteristics and unpredictable charge trapping phenomena. They all depended upon the trapping of charge at interface states between the oxide and other insulator layers or poorly characterized charge trapping centers in the insulator layers themselves. Since the layers were deposited by CVD, they are thick, have poorly controlled thickness and large surface state charge-trapping center densities between the layers.
Thus, there is an ongoing need for improved DRAM technology compatible transistor cells. It is desirable that such transistor cells be fabricated on a DRAM chip with little or no modification of the DRAM process flow. It is further desirable that such transistor cells provide increased density and high access and read speeds.
The above mentioned problems for creating DRAM technology compatible transistor cells as well as other problems are addressed by the present invention and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification. This disclosure describes the use of oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by the different electron affinities of the insulator layers. Two different types of materials are used for the nanolaminated insulator layers. The two different types of materials are transition metal oxides and silicon oxycarbide. In the case of transition metal oxide layers, these are formed by ALD and have atomic dimensions, or nanolaminates, with precisely controlled interfaces and layer thickness. In the case of silicon oxycarbide, these are deposited using chemical vapor deposition techniques since an ALD process has not yet been developed.
In particular, an embodiment of the present invention includes a transistor utilizing oxide nanolaminates. The transistor includes a first source/drain region, a second source/drain region, and a channel region therebetween. A gate is separated from the channel region by a gate insulator. The gate insulator includes oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by different electron affinities of the insulator nanolaminate layers.
These and other embodiments, aspects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description of the invention and referenced drawings or by practice of the invention. The aspects, advantages, and features of the invention are realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, procedures, and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In the drawings, like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout the several views. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The terms wafer and substrate used in the following description include any structure having an exposed surface with which to form the integrated circuit (IC) structure of the invention. The term substrate is understood to include semiconductor wafers. The term substrate is also used to refer to semiconductor structures during processing, and may include other layers that have been fabricated thereupon. Both wafer and substrate include doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial semiconductor layers supported by a base semiconductor or insulator, as well as other semiconductor structures well known to one skilled in the art. The term conductor is understood to include semiconductors, and the term insulator is defined to include any material that is less electrically conductive than the materials referred to as conductors. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In conventional operation, a drain to source voltage potential (Vds) is set up between the drain region 104 and the source region 102. A voltage potential is then applied to the gate 108 via a wordline 116. Once the voltage potential applied to the gate 108 surpasses the characteristic voltage threshold (Vt) of the MOSFET a channel 106 forms in the substrate 100 between the drain region 104 and the source region 102. Formation of the channel 106 permits conduction between the drain region 104 and the source region 102, and a current signal (Ids) can be detected at the drain region 104.
In operation of the conventional MOSFET of
In
There are two components to the effects of stress and hot electron injection. One component includes a threshold voltage shift due to the trapped electrons and a second component includes mobility degradation due to additional scattering of carrier electrons caused by this trapped charge and additional surface states. When a conventional MOSFET degrades, or is “stressed,” over operation in the forward direction, electrons do gradually get injected and become trapped in the gate oxide near the drain. In this portion of the conventional MOSFET there is virtually no channel underneath the gate oxide. Thus the trapped charge modulates the threshold voltage and charge mobility only slightly.
One of the inventors, along with others, has previously described programmable memory devices and functions based on the reverse stressing of MOSFET's in a conventional CMOS process and technology in order to form programmable address decode and correction in U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,950 entitled “MOSFET Technology for Programmable Address Decode and Correction.” That disclosure, however, did not describe write once read only memory solutions, but rather address decode and correction issues. One of the inventors also describes write once read only memory cells employing charge trapping in gate insulators for conventional MOSFETs and write once read only memory employing floating gates. The same are described in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent applications, entitled “Write Once Read Only Memory Employing Charge Trapping in Insulators,” Ser. No. 10/177077, and “Write Once Read Only Memory Employing Floating Gates,” Ser. No. 10/177083. The present application, however, describes transistor cells having oxide insulator nanolaminate layers and their use in integrated circuit device structures.
According to the teachings of the present invention, normal flash memory type cells can be programmed by operation in the reverse direction and utilizing avalanche hot electron injection to trap electrons in the gate insulator nanolaminate. When the programmed floating gate transistor is subsequently operated in the forward direction the electrons trapped in the gate insulator nanolaminate cause the channel to have a different threshold voltage. The novel programmed flash memory type transistors of the present invention conduct significantly less current than conventional flash cells which have not been programmed. These electrons will remain trapped in the gate insulator nanolaminate unless negative control gate voltages are applied. The electrons will not be removed from the gate insulator nanolaminate when positive or zero control gate voltages are applied. Erasure can be accomplished by applying negative control gate voltages and/or increasing the temperature with negative control gate bias applied to cause the trapped electrons in the gate insulator nanolaminate to be re-emitted back into the silicon channel of the MOSFET.
As stated above, transistor cell 201 illustrates an embodiment of a programmed transistor. This programmed transistor has a charge 217 trapped in potential wells in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers 208 formed by the different electron affinities of the insulators 208, 210 and 218. In one embodiment, the charge 217 trapped on the floating gate 208 includes a trapped electron charge 217.
In one embodiment, applying a first voltage potential V1 to the drain region 204 of the floating gate transistor includes grounding the drain region 204 of the floating gate transistor as shown in
In an alternative embodiment, applying a first voltage potential V1 to the drain region 204 of the transistor includes biasing the drain region 204 of the transistor to a voltage higher than VDD. In this embodiment, applying a second voltage potential V2 to the source region 202 includes grounding the sourceline or array plate 212. A gate potential VGS is applied to the control gate 216 of the transistor. In one embodiment, the gate potential VGS includes a voltage potential which is less than the first voltage potential V1, but which is sufficient to establish conduction in the channel 206 of the transistor between the drain region 204 and the source region 202. Applying the first, second and gate potentials (V1, V2, and VGS respectively) to the transistor creates a hot electron injection into the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers 208 of the transistor adjacent to the drain region 204. In other words, applying the first, second and gate potentials (V1, V2, and VGS respectively) provides enough energy to the charge carriers, e.g. electrons, being conducted across the channel 206 that, once the charge carriers are near the drain region 204, a number of the charge carriers get excited into the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers 208 adjacent to the drain region 204. Here the charge carriers become trapped in potential wells in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers 208 formed by the different electron affinities of the insulators 208, 210 and 218, as shown in
In one embodiment of the present invention, the method is continued by subsequently operating the transistor in the forward direction in its programmed state during a read operation. Accordingly, the read operation includes grounding the source region 202 and precharging the drain region a fractional voltage of VDD. If the device is addressed by a wordline coupled to the gate, then its conductivity will be determined by the presence or absence of stored charge in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers 208. That is, a gate potential can be applied to the gate 216 by a wordline 220 in an effort to form a conduction channel between the source and the drain regions as done with addressing and reading conventional DRAM cells.
However, now in its programmed state, the conduction channel 206 of the transistor will have a higher voltage threshold and will not conduct.
Some of these effects have recently been described for use in a different device structure, called an NROM, for flash memories. This latter work in Israel and Germany is based on employing charge trapping in a silicon nitride layer in a non-conventional flash memory device structure. Charge trapping in silicon nitride gate insulators was the basic mechanism used in MNOS memory devices, charge trapping in aluminum oxide gates was the mechanism used in MIOS memory devices, and one of the present inventors, along with another, has previously disclosed charge trapping at isolated point defects in gate insulators. However, none of the above described references addressed forming transistor cells utilizing charge trapping in potential wells in oxide insulator nanolaminate layers formed by the different electron affinities of the insulators.
As shown in
Method of Formation
This disclosure describes the use of oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by the different electron affinities of the insulator layers. Two different types of materials are used for the nanolaminated insulator layers, transition metal oxides and silicon oxycarbide.
In the case of transition metal oxide layers, in embodiments of the present invention these are formed by ALD and have atomic dimensions, or nanolaminates, with precisely controlled interfaces and layer thickness. In the case of silicon oxycarbide, in embodiments of the present invention these are deposited using chemical vapor deposition techniques since an ALD process has not yet been developed.
Transition Metal Oxides
Atomic Layer Deposition
Embodiments of the present invention use the atomic controlled deposition method to form the gate insulators if transition metal oxides are employed for the electron trapping layer. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), developed in the early 70s, is a modification of CVD and can also be called as “alternately pulsed-CVD.” Gaseous precursors are introduced one at a time to the substrate surface, and between the pulses the reactor is purged with an inert gas or evacuated. In the first reaction step, the precursor is saturatively chemisorbed at the substrate surface, and during the subsequent purging the precursor is removed from the reactor. In the second step, another precursor is introduced on the substrate and the desired films growth reaction takes place. After that the reaction byproducts and the precursor excess are purged out from the reactor. When the precursor chemistry is favorable, i.e., the precursor adsorb and react with each other aggressively, one ALD cycle can be preformed in less than one second in the properly designed flow type reactors.
The striking feature of ALD is the saturation of all the reaction and purging steps which makes the growth self-limiting. This brings the large area uniformity and conformality, the most important properties of ALD, as shown in very different cases, viz. planar substrates, deep trenches, and in the extreme cases of porous silicon and high surface area silica and alumina powers. Also the control of the film thickness is straightforward and can be made by simply calculating the growth cycles. ALD was originally developed to manufacture luminescent and dielectric films needed in electroluminescent displays, and a lot of effort has been put to the growth of doped zinc sulfide and alkaline earth metal sulfide films. Later ALD has been studied for the growth of different epitaxial II-V and II-VI films, nonepitaxial crystalline or amorphous oxide and nitride films are their multilayer structures. There has been considerable interest towards the ALD growth of silicon and germanium films but due to the difficult precursor chemistry, the results have not been very successful.
Reaction sequence ALD (RS-ALD) films have several unique and unmatched advantages:
In the Morishita reference, metallic oxides were used. Those metallic oxides included HfO2, Zr2O2, Ta2O3, La- and Y-based oxides, TiO2, and Al2O3 and are discussed in the following paragraphs.
Recently a special technical meeting on ‘Atomic Layer Deposition’ was held by the American Vacuum Society. In the printed form, the above reference showed a summary of HfO2 growth using HfI4 for the first time, which results in a high melting material with a low leakage current and dielectric constant of 16–30. Together with a high chemical stability in contact with silicon, this makes HfO2 a possible replacement for SiO2 as a gate oxide. Previous work in the Forsgren group has shown that iodides can be used as metal sources in ALD of high-purity oxide films, e.g., Ta2O5, TaO2, ZrO2. Their study demonstrates the use of HfI4 in ALD for the first time. In a recent paper by Zhang et al., they published work on thin stacks comprised of alternate layers of Ta2O5/HfO2, Ta2/ZrO2, and ZrO2/HfO2. Zhang et al. reported the thin stacks as high-permittivity insulators for possible gate applications. These thin layers were deposited on silicon substrates using atomic layer deposition. Nanolaminate with silicon oxide equivalent thickness of about 2 nm had dielectric constants of around ten and leakage current densities at 1 MV/cm of around 10−8 Å/cm2. Of the three kinds of nanolaminates investigated, ZrO2/HfO2 structure showed the highest breakdown field and the lowest leakage current. Zhang et al. report that by growing nanolaminates of high-permittivity thin films, leakage current of about 5×10−7 Å/cm2 and k values of around 10 can be obtained for films of equivalent SiO2 thickness, e.g. less than 3 nm.
In embodiments of the present invention, nanolaminates of HfO2 and ZrO2 are described as a dielectric material in new device structures with silicon oxide-metal oxide-silicon oxide insulator nanolaminates. Films with ALD of HfO2 are prepared with substrate temperature of 225–500° C. using Hfl4 as precursor, instead of HfCl4. Another process temperature for the HfO2 is at 325° C. as practiced by Kukli et al. For deposition of ALD ZrO2, an alternative precursor of ZrI4 would be used instead of ZrCl4. ZrO2 films were previously grown from ZrI4 and H2O—H2O using the same atomic layer deposition technique. The breakdown field exceeded 2 MV/cm in the films grown at 325–500° C. The relative permittivity measured at 10 kHz was 20–24 in the films deposited at 275–325° C. The dissipation factor of these films was as low as 0.02–0.03. Thus, for the deposition of nanolaminates, a temperature of 250 to 325° C. would be recommended. Other references for ZrO2 may be useful to note.
Guha et al. reported on the electrical and microstructural characteristics of La- and Y-based oxides grown on silicon substrates by ultrahigh vacuum atomic beam deposition. The Guha et al. group was interested in examining the potential of lanthanum- and yttrium-based oxide thin films as alternate gate dielectrics for Si complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. Guha et al. examined the issue of the polycrystallinity and interfacial silicon oxide formation in these films and their effect on the leakage currents and the ability to deposit films with low electrical thinness. They found that the interfacial SiO2 is much thicker at ˜1.5 rim for the Y-based oxide compared to the La-based oxide where the thickness<0.5 rim. They also showed that while the Y-based oxide films show excellent electrical properties, the La-based films exhibit a large flat band voltage shift indicative of positive charge in the films. In embodiments of the present invention, nanolaminates of HfO2 and ZrO2 are also described as a dielectric material in new device structures with silicon oxide-metal oxide-silicon oxide insulator nanolaminates.
Niilisk et al. studied the initial growth of TiO2 films by ALD. The initial atomic-layer-chemical-vapor-deposition growth of titanium dioxide from TiCl4 and water on quartz glass substrate was monitored in real time by incremental dielectric reflection. In the Niilisk et al. reference an interesting means for beginning the growth from the very beginning into a time-homogeneous mode was proposed and preliminarily studied. The means for beginning the growth from the very beginning into a time-homogeneous mode consists of an in situ TiCl4-treatment procedure. The crystal structure and surface morphology of the prepared ultrathin films were characterized by Niilisk et al. In embodiments of the present invention, nanolaminates of TiO2 are also described as a dielectric material in new device structures with silicon oxide-metal oxide-silicon oxide insulator nanolaminates.
Further, in embodiments of the present invention, nanolaminates of Al2O3 are described as a dielectric material for new device structures with silicon oxide-metal oxide-silicon oxide insulator nanolaminates. In these embodiments, Al2O3 can be deposited by ALD.
Silicon Oxycarbide
Silicon oxycarbide is a wide band gap semiconductor, with a band gap energy which can vary between that of silicon carbide and that of silicon oxide.
Silicon oxycarbide can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition, CVD, techniques. In the silicon oxycarbide embodiments of the present invention, an initial gate oxide is grown by thermal oxidation of silicon and then the silicon oxycarbide and final oxide layer is deposited by CVD.
Memory Devices
According to the teachings of the present invention, the gate insulator structure shown in
In embodiments of the present invention, the gate structure embodiment of
According to the teachings of the present invention, embodiments of the novel transistor herein, which are substituted for the gate structures described in the references above, are programmed by grounding a source line and applying a gate voltage and a voltage to the drain to cause channel hot electron injection. To read the memory state, the drain and ground or source have the normal connections and the conductivity of the transistor determined using low voltages so as not to disturb the memory state. The devices can be erased by applying a large negative voltage to the gate.
In embodiments of the present invention, the gate structure embodiment of
Further, in embodiments of the present invention, the gate structure embodiment of
All of the above references are incorporated herein in full. The gate structure embodiment of
Sample Operation
Conversely, if the nominal threshold voltage without the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers charged is ½ V, then I=μCox×(W/L)×((Vgs−Vt)2/2), or 12.5 μA, with μCox=μC1=100 μA/V2 and W/L=1. That is, the transistor cell of the present invention, having the dimensions describe above will produce a current I=100 μA/V2×(¼)×(½)=12.5 μA. Thus, in the present invention an unwritten, or un-programmed transistor cell can conduct a current of the order 12.5 μA, whereas if the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers are charged then the transistor cell will not conduct. As one of ordinary skill in the art will understand upon reading this disclosure, the sense amplifiers used in DRAM arrays, and as describe above, can easily detect such differences in current on the bit lines.
By way of comparison, in a conventional DRAM cell 850 with 30 femtoFarad (fF) storage capacitor 851 charged to 50 femto Coulombs (fC), if these are read over 5 nS then the average current on a bit line 852 is only 10 μA (I=50 fC/5 ns=10 μA). Thus, storing a 50 fC charge on the storage capacitor equates to storing 300,000 electrons (Q=50 fC/(1.6×10−9)=30×104=300,000 electrons).
According to the teachings of the present invention, the transistor cells, having the gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, in the array are utilized not just as passive on or off switches as transfer devices in DRAM arrays but rather as active devices providing gain. In the present invention, to program the transistor cell “off,” requires only a stored charge in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers of about 100 electrons if the area is 0.1 μm by 0.1 μm. And, if the transistor cell is un-programmed, e.g. no stored charge trapped in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, and if the transistor cell is addressed over 10 nS a current of 12.5 μA is provided. The integrated drain current then has a charge of 125 fC or 800,000 electrons. This is in comparison to the charge on a DRAM capacitor of 50 fC which is only about 300,000 electrons. Hence, the use of transistor cells, having the gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, in the array as active devices with gain, rather than just switches, provides an amplification of the stored charge, in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, from 100 to 800,000 electrons over a read address period of 10 nS.
Sample Device Applications
In
The column decoder 948 is connected to the sense amplifier circuit 946 via control and column select signals on column select lines 962. The sense amplifier circuit 946 receives input data destined for the memory array 942 and outputs data read from the memory array 942 over input/output (I/O) data lines 963. Data is read from the cells of the memory array 942 by activating a word line 980 (via the row decoder 944), which couples all of the memory cells corresponding to that word line to respective bit lines 960, which define the columns of the array. One or more bit lines 960 are also activated. When a particular word line 980 and bit lines 960 are activated, the sense amplifier circuit 946 connected to a bit line column detects and amplifies the conduction sensed through a given transistor cell and transferred to its bit line 960 by measuring the potential difference between the activated bit line 960 and a reference line which may be an inactive bit line. Again, in the read operation the source region of a given cell is couple to a grounded sourceline or array plate (not shown). The operation of Memory device sense amplifiers is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,627,785; 5,280,205; and 5,042,011, all assigned to Micron Technology Inc., and incorporated by reference herein.
The conventional logic array shown in
First logic plane 1010 includes a number of thin oxide gate transistors, e.g. transistors 1001-1, 1001-2, . . . , 1001-N. The thin oxide gate transistors, 1001-1, 1001-2, . . . , 1001-N, are located at the intersection of input lines 1012, and interconnect lines 1014. In the conventional PLA of
In this embodiment, each of the interconnect lines 1014 acts as a NOR gate for the input lines 1012 that are connected to the interconnect lines 1014 through the thin oxide gate transistors, 1001-1, 1001-2, . . . , 1001-N, of the array. For example, interconnection line 1014A acts as a NOR gate for the signals on input lines 1012A and 1012B. That is, interconnect line 1014A is maintained at a high potential unless one or more of the thin oxide gate transistors, 1001-1, 1001-2, . . . , 1001-N, that are coupled to interconnect line 1014A are turned on by a high logic level signal on one of the input lines 1012. When a control gate address is activated, through input lines 1012, each thin oxide gate transistor, e.g. transistors 1001-1, 1001-2, . . . , 1001-N, conducts which performs the NOR positive logic circuit function, an inversion of the OR circuit function results from inversion of data onto the interconnect lines 1014 through the thin oxide gate transistors, 1001-1, 1001-2, . . . , 1001-N, of the array.
As shown in
It is noted that the configuration of
First logic plane 1110 receives a number of input signals at input lines 1112. In this example, no inverters are provided for generating complements of the input signals. However, first logic plane 1110 can include inverters to produce the complementary signals when needed in a specific application.
First logic plane 1110 includes a number of driver transistors, having a gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N, that form an array. The driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N, are located at the intersection of input lines 1112, and interconnect lines 1114. Not all of the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N, are operatively conductive in the first logic plane. Rather, the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N, are selectively programmed, as has been described herein, to respond to the input lines 1112 and change the potential of the interconnect lines 1114 so as to implement a desired logic function. This selective interconnection is referred to as programming since the logical function implemented by the programmable logic array is entered into the array by the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N, that are used at the intersections of input lines 1112, and interconnect lines 1114 in the array.
In this embodiment, each of the interconnect lines 1114 acts as a NOR gate for the input lines 1112 that are connected to the interconnect lines 1114 through the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N, of the array 1100. For example, interconnection line 1114A acts as a NOR gate for the signals on input lines 1112A, 1112B and 1112C. Programmability of the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N is achieved by trapping charge carriers in potential wells in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers of the gate stack, as described herein. When the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers are charged, that driver transistor, 1101-1, 11012, . . . , 1101-N will remain in an off state until it is reprogrammed. Applying and removing a charge to the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, is performed by tunneling charge into the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers of the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N. A driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N programmed in an off state remains in that state until the charge is removed from the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers.
Driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N not having their corresponding gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers charged operate in either an on state or an off state, wherein input signals received by the input lines 1112A, 1112B and 1112C determine the applicable state. If any of the input lines 1112A, 1112B and 1112C are turned on by input signals received by the input lines 1112A, 1112B and 1112C, then a ground is provided to load device transistors 1116. The load device transistors 1116 are attached to the interconnect lines 1114. The load device transistors 1116 provide a low voltage level when any one of the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N connected to the corresponding interconnect line 1114 is activated. This performs the NOR logic circuit function, an inversion of the OR circuit function results from inversion of data onto the interconnect lines 1114 through the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N of the array 1100. When the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N are in an off state, an open is provided to the drain of the load device transistors 1116. The VDD voltage level is applied to corresponding input lines, e.g. the interconnect lines 1114 for second logic plane 1122 when a load device transistors 1116 is turned on by a clock signal received at the gate of the load device transistors 1116. Each of the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N described herein are formed according to the teachings of the present, having a gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers.
In a similar manner, second logic plane 1122 comprises a second array of driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N that are selectively programmed to provide the second level of the two level logic needed to implement a specific logical function. In this embodiment, the array of driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N is also configured such that the output lines 1120 comprise a logical NOR function of the signals from the interconnection lines 1114 that are coupled to particular output lines 1120 through the driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N of the second logic plane 1122.
Programmability of the driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N is achieved by trapping charge carriers in potential wells in the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers of the gate stack, as described herein. When the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers are charged, that driver transistor, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N will remain in an off state until it is reprogrammed. Applying and removing a charge to the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers are performed by tunneling charge into the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers of the driver transistors, 1101-1, 1101-2, . . . , 1101-N. A driver transistor, e.g. 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N, programmed in an off state remains in that state until the charge is removed from the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers.
Driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N not having their corresponding gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers charged operate in either an on state or an off state, wherein signals received by the interconnect lines 1114 determine the applicable state. If any of the interconnect lines 1114 are turned on, then a ground is provided to load device transistors 1124 by applying a ground potential to the source line or conductive source plane coupled to the transistors first source/drain region as described herein. The load device transistors 1124 are attached to the output lines 1120. The load device transistors 1124 provide a low voltage level when any one of the driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N connected to the corresponding output line is activated. This performs the NOR logic circuit function, an inversion of the OR circuit function results from inversion of data onto the output lines 1120 through the driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N of the array 1100. When the driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N are in an off state, an open is provided to the drain of the load device transistors 1124. The VDD voltage level is applied to corresponding output lines 1120 for second logic plane 1122 when a load device transistor 1124 is turned on by a clock signal received at the gate of the load device transistors 1124. In this manner a NOR-NOR electrically programmable logic array is most easily implemented utilizing the normal PLA array structure. Each of the driver transistors, 1102-1, 1102-2, . . . , 1102-N described herein are formed according to the teachings of the present, having a gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers.
Thus
The absence or presence of charge trapped in potential wells, formed by the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, is read by addressing the input lines 1112 or control gate lines and y-column/sourcelines to form a coincidence in address at a particular logic cell. The control gate line would for instance be driven positive at some voltage of 1.0 Volts and the y-column/sourceline grounded, if the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers are not charged with electrons then the transistor would turn on tending to hold the interconnect line on that particular row down indicating the presence of a stored “one” in the cell. If this particular transistor cell has charge trapped in potential wells, formed by the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers, the transistor will not turn on and the presence of a stored “zero” is indicated in the cell. In this manner, data stored on a particular transistor cell can be read.
Programming can be achieved by hot electron injection. In this case, the interconnect lines, coupled to the second source/drain region for the transistor cells in the first logic plane, are driven with a higher drain voltage like 2 Volts for 0.1 micron technology and the control gate line is addressed by some nominal voltage in the range of twice this value. Erasure is accomplished by driving the control gate line with a large positive voltage and the sourceline and/or backgate or substrate/well address line of the transistor with a negative bias so the total voltage difference is in the order of 3 Volts causing electrons to tunnel out of the oxide insulator nanolaminate layers of the driver transistors. Writing can be performed, as also described above, by normal channel hot electron injection.
One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate upon reading this disclosure that a number of different configurations for the spatial relationship, or orientation of the input lines 1112, interconnect lines 1114, and output lines 1120 are possible.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additional circuitry and control signals can be provided, and that the memory device 1200 has been simplified to help focus on the invention. In one embodiment, at least one of the transistor cells, having a gate structure with oxide insulator nanolaminate layers in memory 1212 includes a programmed transistor cell according to the teachings of the present invention.
It will be understood that the embodiment shown in
Applications containing the novel transistor cell of the present invention as described in this disclosure include electronic systems for use in memory modules, device drivers, power modules, communication modems, processor modules, and application-specific modules, and may include multilayer, multichip modules. Such circuitry can further be a subcomponent of a variety of electronic systems, such as a clock, a television, a cell phone, a personal computer, an automobile, an industrial control system, an aircraft, and others.
This disclosure describes the use of oxide insulator nanolaminate layers with charge trapping in potential wells formed by the different electron affinities of the insulator layers. Two different types of materials are used for the nanolaminated insulator layers. The two different types of materials are transition metal oxides and silicon oxycarbide. In the case of transition metal oxide layers, these are formed by ALD and have atomic dimensions, or nanolaminates, with precisely controlled interfaces and layer thickness. In the case of silicon oxycarbide, these are deposited using chemical vapor deposition techniques since an ALD process has not yet been developed. The gate insulator structure embodiments of the present invention, having silicon oxide-metal oxide-silicon oxide insulator nanolaminates, are employed in a wide variety of different device applications.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
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